17 Amazing Concept Cars

New York is the last major auto show of the season, and most automakers have already launched new models and concepts in Europe, Los Angeles, and Detroit, leaving little for the Big Apple. But a few automakers, notably Hyundai, hold back, using this otherwise quiet show to stand out from the crowd, and other automakers show off either cars that will play well in New York or special trim levels.

Check out the cars..

Honda P-NUT
With the influx of new city cars such as the Honda Fit, Honda's Advanced Design Studio looked beyond current models to come up with a concept for what a future city car would look like. The result? The Personal-Neo Urban Transport, or P-NUT.

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics With its emphasis on uncompromising sports car performance, BMW hasn't exactly been on the cutting edge of fuel efficient design. But the Vision EfficientDynamics concept shows that the company is taking a hard look on how it can improve efficiency. The concept uses an aerodynamic design and a complex hybrid power train to get 63 mpg, without sacrificing sports car performance.

Citroen Survolt
Citroen created the Survolt concept as a reaction to the typical electric cars currently in the pipeline toward production. Where those cars actively eschew style, the Survolt gathers it up and flaunts it. Where electric cars serve as transportation appliances, the Survolt delivers sports car looks, or possibly a bad hallucination.

Audi e-tron
Audi showed off different versions of the e-tron electric concept during the auto show season, but this one was the first. The e-tron's four traction motors deliver enough power to get the car to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, and run for a range of 154 miles. The motors deliver a combined 313 horsepower, and an astounding 3,319 pound-feet of torque.

Ford Start
The Ford Start is a new urban vehicle that's powered by a three-cylinder 1-liter engine using Ford's EcoBoost turbo technology. Ford claims this tiny engine would deliver the power of a larger displacement four-cylinder engine. The LCD in the cabin shows an iPhonelike interface.

Peugeot BB1
The BB1 uses two in-wheel electric motors for propulsion, but more interestingly, this 8-foot-long city car seats four. The BB1 has a smartphone port, fully integrating apps on the car's dashboard. Peugeot has been showing off the car in Europe, driving it in cities such as Berlin, London, and Paris.

GMC Granite
GMC refers to the Granite as an urban utility vehicle, a car young professionals can hit clubs in on weekday evenings, then load up with mountain bikes and surfboards on the weekends. It is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Hyundai ix-metro
The ix-metro is a city car concept, intended to have a 1-liter gas engine coupled to a hybrid system. The short wheelbase and high stance suggest a practical interior. The latch placement suggests that the doors open suicide-style.

Hyundai i-flow
The i-flow explores some interesting power train technology. Hyundai specifies a two-stage turbocharger on a 1.7-liter diesel engine, complemented by an electric drive motor, achieving 78 mpg. An interesting new technology uses the heat from the exhaust to generate additional electricity, up to 250 watts when the concept is traveling 50 mph.

Toyota FT-CH
Toyota showed off the new hatchback hybrid concept at the Detroit auto show in January, then came out with the Lexus CT-200h at the Geneva show in March. The CT-200h has similar lines as the concept, making it the fastest move from concept to production car we've ever seen.

Volkswagen Up Lite
The Up Lite is powered by a 0.8-liter turbo-diesel two-cylinder engine that shares motivational duties with a 10kW electric motor for a total of about 64 horsepower. Putting power to the front wheels is a seven-speed DSG transmission.

Citroen Revolte
Citroen's small car concept is intended to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain. Past Citroen hybrid concepts have used a gas engine on one set of wheels and an electric motor on the other. This concept looks a little small for that type of architecture.

Mini Roadster
Mini showed off a concept even smaller than its current Cooper at the Frankfurt auto show. Unlike the current Mini Cooper convertible, the Roadster's top is manual, but shouldn't require much effort to raise and lower.

Peugeot SR1
Peugeot says the SR1 telegraphs new design style for the company's cars. The SR1 is meant to modernize the grand tourer, working as a sporty car for weekend getaways. Peugeot notes that its traditional lion badge was redesigned for this concept, and will be used going forward in new production cars.

Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break
The Shooting Break Concept was unveiled at Auto China 2010. The name, which means the same thing as shooting brake, comes from the term for a wagon used to break horses, then later used as a hunting wagon. This concept uses a new engine from Mercedes-Benz, a direct injection 3.5-liter V-6 making 306 horsepower.

Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid
The Lotus Evora, the biggest car in Lotus' current lineup, serves as the platform for this hybrid concept. Lotus calls it the 414E Hybrid, the number signifying the metric horsepower of the car--that equals 404 horsepower. The purpose of the concept is to demonstrate Lotus' hybrid technology.

Porsche 918 Spyder
Porsche demonstrated its commitment to hybrid technology with the 918 Spyder concept, a car that boasts outlandish specifications. The two-seater uses a plug-in hybrid system composed of two electric motors coupled to a 3.4-liter V-8 racing engine. The car is capable of going 16 miles under electric power alone, and Porsche claims fuel economy of 78 mpg, but it also gets to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds.

ref.CNET.

17 Amazing Concept Cars

New York is the last major auto show of the season, and most automakers have already launched new models and concepts in Europe, Los Angeles, and Detroit, leaving little for the Big Apple. But a few automakers, notably Hyundai, hold back, using this otherwise quiet show to stand out from the crowd, and other automakers show off either cars that will play well in New York or special trim levels.

Check out the cars..

Honda P-NUT
With the influx of new city cars such as the Honda Fit, Honda's Advanced Design Studio looked beyond current models to come up with a concept for what a future city car would look like. The result? The Personal-Neo Urban Transport, or P-NUT.

BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics With its emphasis on uncompromising sports car performance, BMW hasn't exactly been on the cutting edge of fuel efficient design. But the Vision EfficientDynamics concept shows that the company is taking a hard look on how it can improve efficiency. The concept uses an aerodynamic design and a complex hybrid power train to get 63 mpg, without sacrificing sports car performance.

Citroen Survolt
Citroen created the Survolt concept as a reaction to the typical electric cars currently in the pipeline toward production. Where those cars actively eschew style, the Survolt gathers it up and flaunts it. Where electric cars serve as transportation appliances, the Survolt delivers sports car looks, or possibly a bad hallucination.

Audi e-tron
Audi showed off different versions of the e-tron electric concept during the auto show season, but this one was the first. The e-tron's four traction motors deliver enough power to get the car to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds, and run for a range of 154 miles. The motors deliver a combined 313 horsepower, and an astounding 3,319 pound-feet of torque.

Ford Start
The Ford Start is a new urban vehicle that's powered by a three-cylinder 1-liter engine using Ford's EcoBoost turbo technology. Ford claims this tiny engine would deliver the power of a larger displacement four-cylinder engine. The LCD in the cabin shows an iPhonelike interface.

Peugeot BB1
The BB1 uses two in-wheel electric motors for propulsion, but more interestingly, this 8-foot-long city car seats four. The BB1 has a smartphone port, fully integrating apps on the car's dashboard. Peugeot has been showing off the car in Europe, driving it in cities such as Berlin, London, and Paris.

GMC Granite
GMC refers to the Granite as an urban utility vehicle, a car young professionals can hit clubs in on weekday evenings, then load up with mountain bikes and surfboards on the weekends. It is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Hyundai ix-metro
The ix-metro is a city car concept, intended to have a 1-liter gas engine coupled to a hybrid system. The short wheelbase and high stance suggest a practical interior. The latch placement suggests that the doors open suicide-style.

Hyundai i-flow
The i-flow explores some interesting power train technology. Hyundai specifies a two-stage turbocharger on a 1.7-liter diesel engine, complemented by an electric drive motor, achieving 78 mpg. An interesting new technology uses the heat from the exhaust to generate additional electricity, up to 250 watts when the concept is traveling 50 mph.

Toyota FT-CH
Toyota showed off the new hatchback hybrid concept at the Detroit auto show in January, then came out with the Lexus CT-200h at the Geneva show in March. The CT-200h has similar lines as the concept, making it the fastest move from concept to production car we've ever seen.

Volkswagen Up Lite
The Up Lite is powered by a 0.8-liter turbo-diesel two-cylinder engine that shares motivational duties with a 10kW electric motor for a total of about 64 horsepower. Putting power to the front wheels is a seven-speed DSG transmission.

Citroen Revolte
Citroen's small car concept is intended to be powered by a hybrid drivetrain. Past Citroen hybrid concepts have used a gas engine on one set of wheels and an electric motor on the other. This concept looks a little small for that type of architecture.

Mini Roadster
Mini showed off a concept even smaller than its current Cooper at the Frankfurt auto show. Unlike the current Mini Cooper convertible, the Roadster's top is manual, but shouldn't require much effort to raise and lower.

Peugeot SR1
Peugeot says the SR1 telegraphs new design style for the company's cars. The SR1 is meant to modernize the grand tourer, working as a sporty car for weekend getaways. Peugeot notes that its traditional lion badge was redesigned for this concept, and will be used going forward in new production cars.

Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break
The Shooting Break Concept was unveiled at Auto China 2010. The name, which means the same thing as shooting brake, comes from the term for a wagon used to break horses, then later used as a hunting wagon. This concept uses a new engine from Mercedes-Benz, a direct injection 3.5-liter V-6 making 306 horsepower.

Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid
The Lotus Evora, the biggest car in Lotus' current lineup, serves as the platform for this hybrid concept. Lotus calls it the 414E Hybrid, the number signifying the metric horsepower of the car--that equals 404 horsepower. The purpose of the concept is to demonstrate Lotus' hybrid technology.

Porsche 918 Spyder
Porsche demonstrated its commitment to hybrid technology with the 918 Spyder concept, a car that boasts outlandish specifications. The two-seater uses a plug-in hybrid system composed of two electric motors coupled to a 3.4-liter V-8 racing engine. The car is capable of going 16 miles under electric power alone, and Porsche claims fuel economy of 78 mpg, but it also gets to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds.

ref.CNET.

The CR-Z: Honda's fun little hybrid

Honda may have come up with the first fun hybrid car. The Insight, Prius, Camry, and Fusion are all very practical hybrids, and Lexus makes a few comfortable cruisers. But the 2011 Honda CR-Z made us want to drive fast. We wanted to find the most winding road around and torture the car through the corners.

Honda obliged during our preview drive, prescribing a twisty route north of San Francisco we've previously used to test the BMW M3, Porsche 911, and Audi R8. Those cars had it all over the CR-Z for power and speed, but the plucky little CR-Z showed its stuff in the turns. Honda also set out an autocross course so we could really thrash the CR-Z, a test that we haven't previously seen a hybrid put through.
The CR-Z certainly has its quirks. In other markets it is produced with 2+2 seating, but Honda removed the rear seats for the U.S., launching it as a two-seater. We assume Honda thinks Americans are too fat to use the tiny rear seats. We're not going to argue the point.
The CR-Z's hatchback design means it offers decent cargo space in back; removing the rear seats adds an oddly formed cargo area immediately behind the front seats, the two spaces divided by the former rear seat back rest.
Two things stood out for us when we got into the car. We groaned a little when we saw the navigation unit, Honda's original system launched with its first generation of navigation-equipped cars. Needless to say, this system is badly in need of an update. It looks very rough compared with the latest nav units coming out from competitors.

Honda has fitted a Bluetooth phone system and iPod connector into the cabin to round out the electronics. The audio system consisted of six speakers, a subwoofer, and a 360-watt amp. We didn't get a lot of time to listen to the stereo, but what we heard came through with good clarity.
But we were also pleased to see a six-speed manual shifter. This six speed, similar to that used in the Civic Si, is a good one. This transmission makes the intent of the CR-Z clear. However, Honda representatives said they expect about 25 percent of CR-Z purchasers to opt for the manual transmission.
The other transmission available for the CR-Z is continuously variable, like that used in the Insight. After driving the manual version, we can't see why anyone would take the CVT. Honda includes a hill start function with the manual, making it practical in a hilly city like San Francisco.
Our preview drive began in the City by the Bay, and the car gave us three choices for its drive mode: Eco, Normal, and Sport. Setting out in Normal mode, the CR-Z showed its hybrid nature at the first traffic light, shutting down the engine as we stopped. On the green, we lifted off the brake, but the engine didn't start. We pushed the clutch in, and the engine still didn't start. But flicking the shifter into first, something it does with a nice precision, caused the engine to crank over with enough power to get us moving as we let the clutch out.

In fact, the manual transmission encouraged some fast starts off at the light, something the hybrid power train was all too happy to do. The power train consists of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC engine mated to Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, producing a combined 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. With the CVT, shave 5 pound-feet off that torque number. Those numbers don't sound like much, but the electric motor makes a lot of torque available immediately for a satisfying launch.
On rough pavement, the ride quality suffered from the car's firm suspension, but the electric power steering seemed well-tuned for precise handling. The CR-Z's small size made urban maneuvering easy, letting us slip in between cars from one lane to another.

ref.cnet

The CR-Z: Honda's fun little hybrid

Honda may have come up with the first fun hybrid car. The Insight, Prius, Camry, and Fusion are all very practical hybrids, and Lexus makes a few comfortable cruisers. But the 2011 Honda CR-Z made us want to drive fast. We wanted to find the most winding road around and torture the car through the corners.

Honda obliged during our preview drive, prescribing a twisty route north of San Francisco we've previously used to test the BMW M3, Porsche 911, and Audi R8. Those cars had it all over the CR-Z for power and speed, but the plucky little CR-Z showed its stuff in the turns. Honda also set out an autocross course so we could really thrash the CR-Z, a test that we haven't previously seen a hybrid put through.
The CR-Z certainly has its quirks. In other markets it is produced with 2+2 seating, but Honda removed the rear seats for the U.S., launching it as a two-seater. We assume Honda thinks Americans are too fat to use the tiny rear seats. We're not going to argue the point.
The CR-Z's hatchback design means it offers decent cargo space in back; removing the rear seats adds an oddly formed cargo area immediately behind the front seats, the two spaces divided by the former rear seat back rest.
Two things stood out for us when we got into the car. We groaned a little when we saw the navigation unit, Honda's original system launched with its first generation of navigation-equipped cars. Needless to say, this system is badly in need of an update. It looks very rough compared with the latest nav units coming out from competitors.

Honda has fitted a Bluetooth phone system and iPod connector into the cabin to round out the electronics. The audio system consisted of six speakers, a subwoofer, and a 360-watt amp. We didn't get a lot of time to listen to the stereo, but what we heard came through with good clarity.
But we were also pleased to see a six-speed manual shifter. This six speed, similar to that used in the Civic Si, is a good one. This transmission makes the intent of the CR-Z clear. However, Honda representatives said they expect about 25 percent of CR-Z purchasers to opt for the manual transmission.
The other transmission available for the CR-Z is continuously variable, like that used in the Insight. After driving the manual version, we can't see why anyone would take the CVT. Honda includes a hill start function with the manual, making it practical in a hilly city like San Francisco.
Our preview drive began in the City by the Bay, and the car gave us three choices for its drive mode: Eco, Normal, and Sport. Setting out in Normal mode, the CR-Z showed its hybrid nature at the first traffic light, shutting down the engine as we stopped. On the green, we lifted off the brake, but the engine didn't start. We pushed the clutch in, and the engine still didn't start. But flicking the shifter into first, something it does with a nice precision, caused the engine to crank over with enough power to get us moving as we let the clutch out.

In fact, the manual transmission encouraged some fast starts off at the light, something the hybrid power train was all too happy to do. The power train consists of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder i-VTEC engine mated to Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, producing a combined 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. With the CVT, shave 5 pound-feet off that torque number. Those numbers don't sound like much, but the electric motor makes a lot of torque available immediately for a satisfying launch.
On rough pavement, the ride quality suffered from the car's firm suspension, but the electric power steering seemed well-tuned for precise handling. The CR-Z's small size made urban maneuvering easy, letting us slip in between cars from one lane to another.

ref.cnet